Rowan Williams: Church of England has lost credibility over women bishops veto

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has said the Church of England has lost ‘a measure of credibility’ after it blocked women from becoming bishops.

Disappointed: Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams speaks to the General Synod (Picture: Reuters)

The ordination of women bishops was defeated by just six votes, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby described the rejection as a ‘very grim day’.

In a strongly-worded speech to the General Synod this morning, Dr Williams said the church had ‘a lot of explaining to do’.

‘We have, to put it very bluntly, a lot of explaining to do,’ he said.

‘Whatever the motivation for voting yesterday, whatever the theological principle on which people acted and spoke, the fact remains that a great deal of this discussion is not intelligible to our wider society.

‘Worse than that, it seems as if we are wilfully blind to some of the trends and priorities of that wider society.

‘We have some explaining to do, we have, as a result of yesterday, undoubtedly lost a measure of credibility in our society.’

Justin Welby (centre) looks on as the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is embraced at the Assembly Hall of Church House after last night’s vote (Picture: Reuters)

The legislation that would have allowed women to be ordained needed two-thirds of support in the ruling General Synod’s three houses of bishops, clergy and laity, but fell just short in the latter.

It will be at least five years until the vote can be considered again, with equalities minister Maria Miller, also the culture secretary, describing the defeat as ‘very disappointing’ and ‘behind the times’.

Dr Williams, who will be replaced by Bishop Welby next year, spoke of his ‘deep personal sadness’ at the veto.

‘Of course I hoped and prayed that this particular business would be at another stage before I left, and it is a personal sadness, a deep personal sadness that that is not the case,’ he said ahead of an emergency meeting of the House of Bishops this morning to discuss the vote.

Hug: Vicars console each other after the vote (Picture: Getty)

Bishop Welby took to Twitter last night to write: ‘Very grim day, most of all for women priests and supporters, need to surround all with prayer & love and cooperate with our healing God.’

In last night’s vote, 324 members of the general synod approved the ordination of women bishops but 122 rejected it.

In the House of Bishops 44 voted in favour, with three against and two abstentions. In the House of Clergy 148 were in favour and 45 against but in the House of Laity there were 132 votes for yes and 74 for no.

In order to pass, the legislation needed at least 138 votes in the final house, made up of lay members of the Church elected from the 44 dioceses.

The vote was seen as the most significant for the Church since women priests were approved in 1992.